Johann schuler



(No Model.)

J. SGHULER.

RAIL JOINT.

Patented Nov. 14, 1893.

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i 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.JOHANN SCHULER, OF BOCHUM, GERMANY.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,580, dated November 14, 1898.

Application filed November 28, 1392. Serial No. 453.416. (No model.) Patented in Germany August 10,1890,No. 55,476, and September 2,1S91|N063,094.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHANN SCHULER, engineer, a subject of the King of Prussia, and

a resident of the city of Bochum, Germany,`

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, (patented to me in Germany by Patents No. 55,476, dated August 10, 1890, and No. 63,094, dated September 2, 1891,) of which the following is a specification.

The old style of {ish-plate joint, still very commonly used in railways, is unsatisfactory, as is well known, because, when the parts become alittle worn if not before, it permits the near rail-end to be independently depressed by each approaching car-Wheel to a suflicient extent to produce a more orless violent shock, with its familiar sound, when the wheel strikes the adjoining rail-end in passing each joint. Various means have heretofore been proposed for meeting Vthis difficulty.

The present invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts, hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Its main object is the better avoidance of such shocks, together with such accompanying noise, at rail-joints. Y

Another object is to provide for readily tightening such rail-joints to take up Wear.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings are crosssections of my improved rail-joint; and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same.

Lines numbered 1, and 2, across Fig. 3 indicate` the planes of the respective cross-sections correspondirigly numbered, and like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

In my improved rail-joint, the fish-plates, Z, are Z-shaped in cross-section, and are iitted to what are known as Trrai1s, A, B, so. as

to wedge themselves tightly between the head and the broad foot or flanges of the rail when the fish-plates are drawn together by the bolts b which pass through the customary holes and slots in the fish-plates and rail-webs. Each fish-plate is further provided at midlength with a hole c, in its downwardly projecting portion Z', which hole extends downward from immediately above the plane of the bottom of the rail, and is fitted to a key or keys, o, or

ordinary bolts b in this arrangement.

` o, n, which extend on both sides of the spaces between the rail-ends, and bridge the spaces between said lower portions of the fish-plates at bottom, so as to support the rail-ends from beneath, and preclude any depression of one without a corresponding depression of the adjoining end.

To provide fortaking up wear in the joint, a wedging key n is used in connection with the key proper o, so that the joint may be tightened from beneath by a blow of the trackwalkers hammer. Said wedging key is provided with notches r, and a locking bar u, accommodated together with the keys by said holes o, is provided with suitable spring bends u2 at its ends to eoact with said notches fr as. automatic locking devices, their extremities springing from notch to notch when the wedging key is driven in.

To reinforce the joint at midlength Where the strain and wear are greatest, and to provide for tightening the joint laterally at this point, the iish-plates Zare notched as shown at Z2 in Figs.1 and 2, and a pair of supplemental plates m, approximately L-shaped in cross-section, and each provided with a pair of bolt-holes, are iitted between the middle portions of said fish-plates Z and the head of the rail. Converging upper portions m2 of these plates fm, are admittedbeneath the head of the rail by said notches Z2, and vertical portions of Vthe plates are vprovided with boltholes fitted to a central pair of longer screwbolts b,whieh take the place of a pair of the By tightening said bolts b', the reinforcing plates fectively tightened and strengthened.

The devices for supporting and tightening the joint from beneath might obviously be used without said laterally reinforcing and tightening devices. A joint having'thus the improved bottom keys and lockingv devices, without said supplemental plates m and bolts b', would be represented by Fig. 2, in'which these parts are omitted. Said locking notches rr and dogs u2, as they may be termed, may be used only at one end of the wedging key; and other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. t

Having thus described the said improve- 'm are drawn into place, and the joint is ef- IOO ments, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification- 1. The combination with adjoining rail-ends of a pair of sh-plates Z having downwardly extending portions Z provided at midlength with holes a, a horizontal key o supported within said holes, a wedging keyn supported in like manner and provided with notches fr, and a locking bar u supported in like manner and coacting with said notches to lock said wedging key, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

2. The combination with adjoining rail-ends of a pair of fish-plates Z having downwardly extending portions Z provided at midlength with holes a, and a horizontal key o, a wedging key n and a snbjacent locking bar fuJ supported within said holes, said wedging key having notches r at bottom and said lookin g zo bar having spring bends u2 to coact with said vnotches as dogs,.substantially as hereinbefore specified.

3. The combination with adjoiningrail-ends of a pair of fish-plates Zheld in place by ordinary screw bolts b, and having top notches Z2 at midlength, a pair of reinforcing plates lm v two subscribing witnesses.

JOHANN SCHULER.

Witnesses:

A. KLINGHAMMER, W. PESERR. 

